Question

An atom can neither release nor accept electrons when it has:

• A. 4 - 5 electrons in its outermost shell
• B. 5 - 6 electrons in its outermost shell
• C. 2 - 3 electrons in its outermost shell
• D. 3 - 4 electrons in its outermost shell

Answer 1

The correct option is A 4 - 5 electrons in its outermost shell

An atom can neither release nor accept electrons when it has 4-5 electrons in its outermost shell. They then form covalent bonds.
Covalent bonds can also be thought of as shared electron bonds. Covalent bonds develop when atoms can achieve the a stable outer shell electron configuration by sharing electrons with another atom.